Overbed table



March 21 1967 p. ALEKSA ETAL 3,3l0,008

' OVERBED TABLE Filed Dec. l5, 1965 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fa j? HMl kb/J0 *UI fzz/emz'ns'" 20 h, Jj Fred .P7-aim mi jg) y) Feef @Z6/gif@ nll E i @J5 gy m@ 2l, 67 P. ALEKSA ETAL 3,310,008

OVERBED TABLE Filed DSG. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,310,008 OVERBED TABLE Peter Alersa and Fred Pruim, both of Chicago, Ill., as-

signors to BorgeWarner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 514,066 1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-146) This invention relates to an improved overbed table, and more particula-rly, -to an overbed table which is directly adjustable vertically upward.

There is a general type of overbed table which is presently known that provides a table top that is biased upwardly to counterbalance the weight thereof, and wherein an adjustable ybrake mechanism is provided between the base and the table top, which has to be released to allow the table top to be adjusted vertically upwardly or downwardly. However, it should be noted :that these known types of overbed tables require that the adjustable brake mechanism be released when the table top is to be adjusted vertically upward as well as when the table top is to be adjusted vertically downward.

When a table of this type if positioned over a bed, and the bed is raised or it is otherwise desirable to vertically adjust the table top upwardly, it becomes necessary to perform a separate act of releasing 4the adjusting brake mechanism. One approach to the solution of this problem is to provide a release mechanism under the table top which is adapted to be actuated manu-ally by contact with the occupant of the bed or the bed itself, when the bed is elevated under the table top, or by separate manual action to provide the appropriate vertical adjustment. However, it is oftentimes very undesirable to subject lthe occupant of the bed to this physical contact, and it is quite often awkward to manually actuate the adjustable brake release mechanism from beneath the tab-1e. It is, therefore, highly advantageous to provide an improved overbed table which can be quickly and simply vertically upwardly adjusted by merely exerting a vertical upward force directly on the table top itself, without any particular separate actuation of an adjustable brake lrelease mechanism.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved overbed table of relatively simple and economical construction, that is readily and directly adjustable in the vertical direction by simply exerting upward force on the table top and without requiring a separate act to release an adjustment mechanism.

With these and other objects in View, the present invention contemplates an improved overbed table having a table top with an extension telescopically mounted over a vertical extension of a table base, and which is spring biased vertically away from said base to partially offset the effects of gravity, wherein an adjustable mechanism is provided for adjustably retaining the table top in selected vertical positions and allowing the table top to be moved upwardly t a higher adjusted position by the exertion of an upward force on the table top, and without requiring a separate action to release a vertical adjustment mechanism.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is an elevation view of the improved overbed table showing the general construction thereof;

ICC

FIG. 2 is la partial sectional View of the upper portion ofthe improved overbed table;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the bottom portion of the improved overbed table;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the telescoping bottom and top portions of the improved overbed table;

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the brake mechanism of the improved overbed table; Iand FIG. 6 is a partial sectional View taken along line 6 6 of FIG. 5 showing the release-mechanism of the adjustable brake mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an improved overbed table structure (FIG. l), which embodies the invention and which is generally designated by the numeral 10. The overbed table generally includes a base 11, a top 12, and an interconnecting column portion generally designated by the numeral 13. The base 11 includes, among other things, a horizontal member 14 supported by fixed or movable casters 15. The top 12 includes, Iamong other things, a horizontal surface 16 and a column supporting bracket 18. The column 13 includes generally three telescoping members and an adjustable brake release 20, 21, and 22 respectively.

The column 13, in particular, includes a tubular base extension generally designated by the numeral 20, which is rigidly secured to the horizontal member 14 (FIGS. 1 and 3), and which extends vertically upward therefrom. The column 13 also includes Ia tubular top extension 21 secured to the bracket 18 and extending vertically downwardly in spaced-telescopic relation `over the tubular base extension 20. Further, the column 13 includes an adjustment brake carriage assembly generally designated by the numeral 22 mainly contained within the tubular base 20 (FIGS. 1-4 and 6).

The tubular base extension 20 is provided with a shaft 24 secured to a plate 25 of the base 11 (FIG. 3) and a top bracket 26 (FIG. i2) secured to the top thereof which holds the top of the shaft 24 in the in position generally in the center of the base extension 20 (FIG. 4). Rollers 27 are rotatably secured near the bottom of the top tubular extension 21. Similarly, a pair of rollers 28, having a thrust flange 29, are rotatably mounted on bearings 30 respectively secured to opposite sides ofthe lower portion of the extension generally adjacent the rollers 28 (FIGS. 3 and 4). A vertical rail 31 is provided on the outer surfaces of the lower tubular extension 20 between each of the rollers 27 and 28, which is adapted to laterally support the bottom portion of the top tubular extension 21 on the rollers 27 and 2S (FIGS. 3 and 4). The thrust flanges 29 of the rollers 28 act to laterally support the top tubular extension 20 in the other direction.

The top of the top extension 21 is laterally supported on rollers 35 which are rotatably mounted on bearings 36. The lbearings 36 are secured to angle brackets 37 which cin turn are secured to the tubular base extension 20. The brackets 37 position the rollers 35 such that the rollers will respectively engage the inner corners of the top tubular extension 21, as indicated by the broken lines (FIG. 4), and as shown (FIG. 2).

A negator spring 40 is rotatably supported on a shaft 41 (FIG. 2), which is secured at the ends thereof between the bottom tubular member extensions 38. The negator spring 40 is extended from the top portion of the o top tubular member 21 downwardly along the right side (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) of the tubular top extension 21, and the bottom thereof is provided with an upwardly extending portion 42 which is retained by a bracket 43 secured to the bottom of the upper tubular extension 21 (FIG. 3). The negator spring 4t) thereby extends from the top of the bottom tubular member 20 and the spring bracket 43 of the bottom of the top tubular ex-tension 21, so as to urge the extension 21 upwardly against the force of gravity on the table top 12.

The brake adjustment assembly 22 is provided with a brake carriage 45, which is secured to the upper portion of the top extension 21 by a bolt or similar means 46, and extends downwardly into the bottom extension 20 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4), and terminates in a brake supporting platform 47 generally perpendicular to and surrounding the shaft 24 (FIGS. 3 and 5). When the table top is moved relative to the base, the brake adjustment assembly 22 will move therewith and thus the platform will move relative to the shaft 24 secured to the base 14. A resilient cushion 48 is provided around the shaft 24 on the member 25 to resiliently support the platform 47 when the table top is lowered to its lowermost position (FIG. 3).

A brake plate washer 50 is mounted loosely around the shaft 24 and is normally supported horizontally on a lubricant saturated washer 51 on the platform 47. A brake retaining arm 52 is provided on the platform 47 and extends over the right edge (FIGS. 36) of the brake plate 50 to retain the right side of the brake plate 50 in a limited movement position relative to said shaft 24 and adjacent the platform 47. Springs 53 are anchored on projections 54 extending into an opening 55 in the platform 47 and are each anchored on the right edge of the platform 47. Springs 53 are adapted to engage the brake plate 50 to urge the plate 50 into engagement with the right side of the shaft 24. The specific interposition of the washer 50, the platform 47, retaining arm 52 and springs 53 is to be particularly noted. This novel structural arrangement provides a brake mechanism, whereby the brake plate 50 will at all times be urged into frictional engagement with the shaft 24 so that when the platform 47 of the carriage 45 is urged downwardly with the carriage 45, the brake plate 50` will be pivoted clockwise (FIGS. 3 and 5) within the confines defined by the space between the retaining arm 52 and the platform 47. The plate 50 will thereby wedgingly frictionally engage the shaft 24 to lock the carriage against movement with respect to the shaft, and thus retain the table top 12 in a vertical position determined by the position of the platform 47 on the shaft 24.

However, when the platform 47 is urged upwardly, with the carriage 45 by similarly urging the table top upwardly, the brake plate 56 will retain its frictional engagement with the right side of the shaft 24, but will be prevented from pivoting beyond the horizontal position perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 24 as shown (FIG. During downward movement of the platform 47, the brake plate 5t) will be prevented from pivoting to an angle with respect to the shaft 24 and `the frictional braking engagement between the plate 50 and the shaft 24 will be prevented during this upward movement of the platform 47.

Accordingly, the platform 47, and thus the table top 12, may be moved upwardly by simply applying an upward force to the table top 12, but will be prevented from downward movement by the braking action of the plate 5) on the shaft 24. The brake release mechanism 23 is provided for selectively releasing the brake plate 50 from braking engagement with the shaft 24, and includes generally a brake release arm 60 (FIGS. 3 6), pivot link 61, vertical link 62, horizontal link 63 (FIG. 2) and release knob 64. The release arm 60 is provided with a curved bottom portion 70 adapted to engage the top of the brake plate 50, and is pivotally secured to the pivot link 61 at 71.

The pivot link 61 is pivotally secured between the ends thereof to pivot the bracket 72 at 73. The bracket 72 is rigidly secured to the carriage 45. The vertical link 62 is pivotally secured at the lower end thereof to the other end of the pivot link 61 at 74. The top of the link 62 is loosely secured to the horizontal link 63 at 75. The horizontal link 63 is provided with an elongated lateral aperture 76 which is adapted to receive a projection 77 extending into an aperture 7S in the right side of the top tubular extension 21 (FIG. 2).

Thus, the right end of the horizontal link 63 is pivotally secured to the right side of the member 21. The left side of the horizontal link 63 is secured to the knob 64 through a spacer 79 that extends through an opening 8@ in the left side of the upper tubular extension 21. The link 63, and the knob 64, are urged downwardly by the action of a spring 81 secured to the link 63 and in biased engagement with the bottom of the table top 12.

It. should be noted that the knob may be moved from the position shown (FIG. 2), to the broken line position to cause the vertical link 62 to be moved upwardly. When the link 62 is thus moved upwardly, the pivot link 61 will pivot clockwise about 73 causing the brake release arm 60 to move downwardly along the shaft 24, whereby the lower portion 7) thereof will be caused to engage `the brake plate 50 to pivot the plate 50 counterclockwise, and release the brake plate 50 from braking engagement with the shaft 24. By moving the knob 64 upwardly as shown (FIG. 2), the brake plate 5U is released and the table top can be lowered by applying a downward force thereon while the knob is retained in the up position.

The present invention thus provides an improved overbed table whereby the top thereof is adjustable vertically upward by simply applying an upward force to the table top itself, and is provided with a structure that facilitates locking of the table top in a selected vertical position when the upward force on the table top is released. This invention is also provided with a structure which provides a release for the braking mechanism to allow the table top to be lowered to any desired position within its limit of vertical travel to allow down adjustment movement.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, as it will be understood to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

An improved vertically adjustable overbed table cornprising a base having a vertical tubular extension, a top having a vertical tubular extension telescopically movably mounted over said tubular base extension, means for urging said top upwardly to partially support the weight of said top, a vertical shaft secured to said base and extending upwardly within the base extension and said top extension, a brake carriage secured to said top and extending downwardly into said tubular base extension and terminating in a brake supporting platform perpendicular and adjacent to said shaft, a brake plate loosely mounted around said shaft and supported from beneath by said platform in a position substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and adapted to frictionally grip said shaft when pivoted upwardly from said platform at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis of said shaft, a brake retaining arm extending from said platform and over one side of said plate for confining that side of said plate to limited axial movement thereof along said shaft with respect to said brake carriage, means adjacent said arm for urging said vbrake into engagement with said shaft for causing said brake to frictionally engage said shaft and to be pivoted upwardly thereby from said carriage Whfn. Sad Carriage is urged downwardly with respect plate 50, and is pivotally secured to the pivot link 61 at to said shaft, and means for selectively releasing said brake to eliminate the braking effect thereto to allow said top to be moved downwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,392,477 1/1946 "Holm 108-146 6 2/ 1953 Bernier 312-246 6/1963 Lavigne 10S-146 X 7/1965 Linder et al. 108-146 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1954 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner. 

